Shiver me Timbers
by FishNet
Summary: James Norrington hated pirates, all pirates. But then Dinah Morgan appeared in Port Royal and suddenly Norrington, who thought he would never find another woman after Elizabeth, is beginning to change his mind about things...
1. Trouble on the Docks

James Norrington stood before a mirror, straight razor in his hand, preparing for another day as Commodore in Port Royal. His white, curled wig rested on a stand by his side, his jacket was hanging next to the bedroom door. He surveyed his appearance in the mirror. He was still young, his brown hair only marred by a few gray hairs near the temples. He still had the same good looks he had possessed at twenty, if perhaps a more refined air. Back then he had thought that everything would go perfectly, and by this time he'd have everything he could've desired. A year and a half before, when he'd been promoted to Commodore, he'd still thought so. He had his position, and it seemed as if Elizabeth Swann would marry him, making a fine wife and mother to his children. It would have been the perfect life.  
  
But then Jack Sparrow had sailed into town on his broken down boat, and the Black Pearl had followed him. In a cruel twist of fate, Elizabeth had been kidnapped by pirates, and James had not been the one to rescue her.  
  
No, it had been William Turner, a common blacksmith of unknown parentage. And although James had always known that Elizabeth fancied Will, he had never expected that she was in love with him. Will was young, handsome, and good with a sword, but James had had no idea that Elizabeth's feelings ran deeper than a young woman's dreaming. Nor had James thought that Will's feelings for Elizabeth were such that he would befriend a pirate and steal a ship to come to her rescue. Many men had eyes for the Governor's daughter, because of her beauty and spirit, but Will was the only one to risk everything for her.  
  
James had known that Elizabeth did not love him when he had proposed to her, and he was not sure that he was in love with her, either. But she was a fine woman, a woman he cared for deeply. And he had still been hurt when, after the incident with the Black Pearl had ended and Jack Sparrow had eluded him again, she had chosen Will Turner.  
  
Will and Elizabeth had married only a few months after Sparrow's departure, as soon as Governor Swann would allow. He had wanted a proper wedding, despite the circumstances and the groom. The pair had moved into a modest house near the Governor's mansion, and James wished them the best. He spoke often with Elizabeth, more often with her father, and occasionally with Will, who remained a blacksmith but who's business and reputation had suddenly boomed following rumors of his excursions and pirate heritage. Governor Swann had mentioned the other day the Elizabeth was now expecting a child, and James had congratulated him heartily.  
  
But James had decided he'd had enough of women. There was no other girl in Port Royal that he could see himself with, and he didn't understand their thinking enough to risk hurting himself again. Plus he felt rather foolish about the incident. His pride had been wounded. A bachelor's life, he had decided, devoted to his work... yes, that was how it would have to be.  
  
James finished shaving and put on his coat. Buttoning up the uniform and adding the wig and hat, he thought about what a difference they made to his appearance. He strapped on his sword and pistol and headed out the door to resume his duties in the Port Royal harbor. He had stopped sailing the seas hunting pirates, for fear that he would run into Jack Sparrow again and deal with another fiasco involving Will and Elizabeth, who would surely come to his rescue. And after everything that had happened, he had rather lost his lust for pirate hunting, content to wait for them to come to Port Royal. After all, he thought, they were only a risk to the town when they came to the town. Oh, he still loathed pirates, of course. They deserved to hang, each and every one of them. But his last adventure had left a bitter taste in his mouth that still lingered, and until he got over it he didn't think he'd be sailing the seas looking for those filthy scoundrels.  
  
As he arrived at his office, he had little idea just how important the day's events would be.  
  
***  
  
Dinah Morgan strolled down the dock in the Port Royal harbor, boots clicking on the wooden slats. The day was hot, and she was glad to not be trapped beneath layers of petticoats and velvet, as most women her age were, but her own dress was hardly better at the moment. The long trousers weren't so bad, really, nor the shirt, but she was wearing a brown leather coat, buttoned completely, with the collar turned up above her face. Only her eyes were visible between the coat and the tri-cornered hat perched on her head. Her auburn hair was twisted up and completely obscured beneath the hat, and she was thankful for the small blessing that it was off of her neck.  
  
A sword was fastened around her slim waist, and she was also carrying a pistol, powder, and extra shots. But Dinah was hoping that she wouldn't have to use them. Though her chosen profession often required it, she preferred that things remain simple and easy and without violence. However, if the need arose, she could defend herself well.  
  
Dinah strode purposefully towards her prize. The key was, she had learned, to act as if you belonged in a place. Her eyes were locked on the ship she had chosen. It was a modest merchant vessel that traveled to the other islands in the area (except, perhaps, for Tortuga, since no honest ship sailed there), fit for a small crew and light piracy, but it would do her for now. She thought it far too risky to try for a larger ship in Port Royal, especially alone. Commodore Norrington, the pirate's ultimate foe, made his home here, and if she'd been able to leave Port Royal without stealing she would have.  
  
But of course, Stanton had known that she would have to steal a boat in Port Royal when he had forced her to walk the plank just outside the mouth of the harbor. Just as he had known that Norrington was stationed in Port Royal, making it perhaps the most difficult place to commandeer a ship. She cursed the day that she had agreed to join Stanton's crew, but she had had little choice. Though she was skilled with a sword and could aim a pistol, her previous experience had all been solo, much smaller work that she'd have with a crew. Few pirates wanted to take on a new member, especially one who had never worked on a large ship before. She had been desperate when Stanton had come to her and offered her a place aboard the Bonnie Lass. She knew of Stanton, knew of his despicable ways, and she had wanted nothing to do with him. But he was the only option, and she had grudgingly agreed to come aboard.  
  
For a while, she'd thought that perhaps it wouldn't be so terrible after all. She was treated as all the crew were treated, and it wasn't a bad life. Well, for the first few months at least. After that, Stanton started making advances towards her, and although she was no blushing maid, she was repulsed by him and offended that he had only taken her aboard thinking she would be his private prostitute. She had rejected him over and over, eventually beginning to sleep with a knife next to her bed. She'd managed for a while, but after a year of carting her around and seven months of begging, Stanton had had enough. He had given her an ultimatum: deliver what he wanted, or leave the crew.  
  
Dinah had refused. She had thought that Stanton would return her to Tortuga, where she would again try to find a place or, if worst came to worst, end up as a common whore there. But when Dinah saw the look in his eyes as he smiled at her after she'd told him, she had grown fearful. She'd thought that perhaps it was the fate of a mutinied captain for her, alone on a desolate island. But Stanton hadn't the heart to condemn her so completely. Three days previously, he had forced her off the plank with her effects, the only land in sight the Port Royal harbor, and Dinah had known she was nearly as bad off. Stealing a ship here would be near impossible. Stanton was probably hoping that she would send word to him somehow to return for her, she'd do as he wished, but Dinah would rather hang than give him the satisfaction.  
  
So she had chosen the merchant ship. Its owner hadn't been around the docks much in the past few days, and Dinah was hoping that she could slip aboard and sail it away without even arousing suspicions. Then she could perhaps find her own crew, using all new and inexperienced pirates if the need be, and Stanton would see how wrong he had been.  
  
Dinah slipped aboard the ship and began preparing to make way. So far, so good, no one seemed to notice anything. Everyone probably presumed that she was the ship's rightful owner.  
  
She's just finished with the sails and was about to untie the vessel when a shout made her freeze.  
  
"Help! Someone is stealing my ship!" Unfortunately, the ship's owner had come to see about stocking his vessel, and noticed that it was nearly ready to leave the docks.  
  
Dinah raced to the back of the ship frantically, trying to formulate an escape plan. She saw a uniformed man running down the docks towards the ship. The rest of the guard was no where in sight, although the owner of the ship was running to get them. One man... she could handle that, she thought.  
  
Dinah drew her sword as the soldier raced aboard the ship. "Freeze, pirate," he yelled as Dinah turned, entering a fighting stance automatically.  
  
Her blood ran cold. This was no ordinary soldier. The uniform revealed him to be none other than Commodore Norrington himself, glaring at her angrily from beneath his wig. She was taken slightly off guard. He was more attractive than she had pictured him, though every bit as severe. Suddenly, he lunged, and she had no more time to contemplate these things. They were off, swords clanging , shifting and turning.  
  
Dinah slashed at him with her sword when a startling realization struck her. She wasn't sure if she could kill him. She didn't know if she could make herself run him through with her blade if she needed to to get away. It wasn't the fear of killing, oh no, for she'd often fantasized about slitting Stanton's throat. But there was something about Commodore Norrington, a man who she'd heard of and hated, that made her feel as if she could not kill him.  
  
Dinah was distracted by this, and suddenly the Commodore's sword was at her throat. He'd managed to hit the button on it perfectly, and her coat fell open and away from her face.  
  
Norrington froze as her face came into view. He took in her full lips and delicate features. "You're... you're a woman!"  
  
The rest of the soldiers were running up the dock now. In a moment they would be upon the ship. Dinah had to do something, and fast.  
  
"Aye," spat Dinah. And then, taking advantage of his shock, she drew back her fist and punched him hard in the jaw. He reeled backwards, and Dinah sheathed her sword, turned and dived off of the ship into the water.  
  
"He got away," cried Norrington's right hand man, Gillette, as the soldiers arrived by the Commodore's side.  
  
Norrington blinked at the spot where Dinah had disappeared into the water. After a second he regained his composure. "Don't worry, Gillette," he said, "he can't get far. He hasn't got a ship, and so he can't leave Port Royal."  
  
Gillette nodded, and quickly began doling out search assignments to the men. "I'm returning to my office to... to make a report," said Norrington, and hurried away. 


	2. A Change of Attire

Dinah's hat fell from her head as she dove into the water, and she caught it in her hand. It made swimming a bit awkward, but she refused to leave it behind. Her long hair fanned out around her head as she swam down and away from the ship she had tried to steal. She was glad she was a good swimmer because she didn't have to come up for air often. When she did, she made sure to hide behind a ship.  
  
She headed for a rocky area away from the docks. She could trek back to town through there, she knew, for it was the same place she had landed upon when Stanton had thrown her overboard. She was going to have to get some different clothes. A person who appeared to be a pirate but had done nothing was one thing, but a person dressed as a pirate and being hunted was a completely different thing. She would have to buy a dress and go around as a woman for a bit, until she decided what to do. She had enough money for a simple dress, which was all she needed, and enough to continue boarding at a local tavern for a while longer, and so she still had some options.  
  
As she swam, Commodore Norrington kept drifting into her thoughts. She had heard tales of him throughout Tortuga. Every pirate seemed to know of someone who had been brought down by the infamous Commodore. And every pirate seemed to have some fantasy plot of how they would be the one to slit the Commodore's throat. His policies made him perhaps the most hated man in all Tortuga. And Dinah had hated him as well, especially once she had been abandoned in his area of authority.  
  
But she found that now, her loathing of him had ebbed. His face dancing in her head didn't make her clench her fists with anger. Rather, she thought of how his eyes had looked when he had discovered she was a woman, and she rather wished that she wasn't a pirate at all, just another lady at a party or ceremony with him.  
  
Dinah cursed herself as she climbed from the water onto the rocks, knowing that she was being incredibly foolish. She was letting her emotions rule over her like some silly schoolgirl, and it made her angry. Norrington would hang her as soon as look at her, she reminded herself, and his next words to her would probably be, "clap her in irons, Mr. Gillette." His initial shock over her gender would not save her if they met again, and here she was, nearly hoping that they would, just so she could look into those eyes again.  
  
He is a man of the law, you fool, she told herself, and you are a pirate. Albeit a fairly unsuccessful one at the moment, but a pirate all the same. They were two different worlds, and he was firmly rooted in his. Dinah wrung her sopping hair and swore a few times at her irrational and unwarranted new crush. How was this happening? They'd been in each other's presence for all of two minutes, and during that time they were trying to stab each other. It certainly wasn't a romantic situation.  
  
Dinah did her best to push the handsome Commodore from her mind as she waited for her clothes to dry and then began to walk into town. A few streets over from the tavern where she was staying, she stopped at a dressmaker's shop and asked about getting a dress.  
  
"My husband and I were travelling, you see, but somehow they forgot all of my trunks. And then I managed to rip the dress I had on, and I've had to wear his clothes the whole way! It was quite dreadful. So, do you have anything I could take now, and then I'll come back later to see about getting more tailor-made."  
  
The dressmaker just happened to have a simple green display dress that fit Dinah decently, and she donned the new apparel and left, carrying her other clothes in a bundle under her arm. She headed straight back to the tavern, thinking that the safest thing to do would be to lie low there for a little while.  
  
***  
  
James sat in his office and stared at the report he had just written dismally. His cheek throbbed where the woman—the pirate, he told himself again—had punched him, but that wasn't the reason he was so out-of-sorts. His eyes skimmed the report again, quill perched in hand ready to make the necessary changes.  
  
"The pirate was in the process of stealing a merchant vessel when the ship's owner yelled for help. Commodore Norrington detained the pirate, a brief fight ensued. Pirate was able to escape over the side of the ship before reinforcements could arrive. The pirate's face and hair were covered, consequently no description is possible."  
  
Norrington set down the quill and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Why had he decided to do a quick check over at the docks when it was far below his duties? Well, he had wanted to get away from yet more questioning about why his pirate capturing ventures were on such decline. But there were a dozen other things he could have done, so why had he chosen that? And more importantly, why couldn't he tell Gillette that the pirate had been a woman, or write it in the report? Why had he frozen when her coat had fallen open and he had seen her face? Why was he saying that he could not describe her when he knew that he really could? Her eyes had been very green, lips full, cheekbones and jaw delicate and feminine. He hadn't seen her hair color beneath her hat, and he'd found himself losing concentration on the report and picturing her face in different hairstyles and colors. This was not, he knew, appropriate behavior for a Commodore.  
  
He thought again of her eyes, eyes that he had had such loathing for when he'd thought they'd belonged to a man, and eyes that now seemed so enchanting when he knew they belonged to a woman. What was her name, he wondered.  
  
He moved his hand towards the quill again, determined this time to write a description of her face and put down that she was a woman, but again he stopped short. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, frustrated. He hated to admit it even to himself, but for some reason he didn't want them to catch her.  
  
I need a drink, he thought tiredly, feeling utterly defeated. Never since Jack Sparrow had a pirate gotten the better of him, and here this woman was, filling his thoughts so completely after uttering one word and nearly knocking out his teeth.  
  
Will Turner suddenly crossed his mind. If there was anyone in Port Royal who knew about pirates' lives (except, of course, for their hangings, for that was his own area of expertise) then it was Will Turner. After all, hadn't his father been a pirate, hadn't he actually been to Tortuga, the pirates' haven, and hadn't he sailed with a crew of pirates during the incident with Jack Sparrow? Yes, James thought, Will would know about pirates, female or otherwise. Perhaps he would've heard of the woman that James had seen. And maybe, James thought hopefully, he'd be able to tell about all the horrendous things she had done, and then James would be able to hang her with a clear conscience.  
  
It was a longshot, he knew. Will may have sailed with Jack Sparrow, but other than the pirate crew aboard the Black Pearl he probably didn't know of any other pirates, save a few tales from Mr. Gibbs. But it was an excuse for James to get out of the office and away from the dreaded report that was causing him so much agony.  
  
And after all, hadn't the blacksmith's been exactly where Jack Sparrow had been temporarily apprehended? Pirates needed swords, and maybe she had decided to go and get a new one. While Will's attitude towards pirates had changed, James was sure the young blacksmith wouldn't let her go without a fight.  
  
He stood, heading towards the door and touching his cheek lightly again. It felt swollen and tender, and he shuddered to think of the nasty bruise that must be forming there. It simply wasn't proper for a Commodore to be purple.  
  
It wasn't long before he reached the blacksmith's, and he was already reaching for the doorknob when something caught his attention.  
  
A young woman with long, auburn hair was entering a tavern a little ways down the street. She was wearing a green dress and carrying a bundle under one arm, along with a sword. There was something about the curve of her jaw, and when she turned her head towards him slightly and her eyes flashed, James' heart began to race. It was her!  
  
He sunk back into the shadows of the doorway as she entered the tavern, and as soon as the door had shut behind her he rushed down the street. Peering through the window, he saw her order a drink from the bartender and throw her head back as she drank it, making short work of the mug. Then she deposited a coin on the table and headed up the stairs at the back.  
  
James pulled open the door and headed after her, thankful that at this time of day the only patrons in the bar were too incapacitated to drag themselves home. The bartender pretended to shine a glass with a grubby rag, eager to stay out of the way of the law.  
  
James reached the top of the stairs and looked down the hall just in time to see the hem of a green dress disappearing around a doorframe at the end of the hallway. He walked down the hall as quietly as he could, hand on the hilt of his sword.  
  
The door was slightly ajar, and he reached out and pushed it gently. It swung open easily, and there she was.  
  
She was standing at the back of the room in front of the window, the parcel she had been carrying on a table behind her. Any doubts that he had had that this was the same woman disappeared instantly. The eyes were the same, wild and passionate but not cruel. She was absolutely beautiful.  
  
She also had a pistol pointed directly at his face.  
  
AN: haha, cliffie! 


	3. The Barmaid and the Buccaneer

AN: cookie if anyone notices the blatant reference to the DVD commentary.  
  
Dinah's knees felt weak and shaky beneath her skirt. She did her best to ignore them and concentrate on composing her facial features. She would not let the Commodore know how much her heart was racing—and it wasn't from an adrenaline rush in preparation for a fight, oh no, it was something else—and she certainly wouldn't let him know that she was bluffing. Her finger was poised on the trigger of the pistol, and it was indeed loaded, but her finger seemed to be frozen. She could not pull the trigger, not even if she had wanted to, and she didn't.  
  
Fortunately she was able to hold her arm steady, aim dead level with his eyes. And right now she was pretty sure that she held the advantage. It had been fortunate that she'd managed to glimpse him in the street—how could she not? The man was wearing so much damned gold brocade he probably lit up—and he hadn't exactly been discreet lurking in the window and then following her upstairs. And that struck her as very out-of-character for the Commodore she had heard so much about and envisioned in her mind.  
  
"Not another move, Commodore," she said, voice steady and gun steadier, "or that wig will cease to be so white."  
  
Norrington's hand fell away from his sword and he extending his hands slightly, palms out in a look,-I-haven't-got-anything-to-kill-you-with-at- all gesture. Dinah did not lower her gun.  
  
James swallowed as his eyes flickered between the hole at the end of the gun and her face. This was not going well at all. It wasn't how he had planned it—but how had he planned it? Just what were his expectations for coming up here, since he didn't seem to want to capture her and the thing that did keep crossing his mind, well, he certainly couldn't do that. He took a small step back. "I'll just be going then."  
  
"No," said Dinah quickly. "I told you, don't move." A brief wave of anger stuck her. How stupid did he think she was? "If I let you go, you'll just return with more soldiers, and I can't kill you all. So you see, it's a bit of a problem for me."  
  
"So am I just to stand here forever?" he asked.  
  
Dinah considered it for a moment. "Step inside and shut the door. We wouldn't want anyone coming down the hall and seeing this little spectacle, would we? I doubt it would do anything good for your reputation."  
  
Norrington stepped inside the room and pushed the door shut behind him. It closed with a soft, final click. Dinah still had the gun trained on his head.  
  
The same thought hit both of them at the same time: now we are locked in here together. And neither of them felt particularly unhappy about the idea.  
  
"How did you find me so quickly?" asked Dinah.  
  
"Coincidence, I assure you."  
  
She raised her eyebrows. It was enough to send a shiver down Norrington's spine.  
  
Dinah's knees felt shakier every second. She was beginning to feel rather hot and flushed as well. Perhaps the rum hadn't been a good idea. It seemed to be going to her head, although she usually held her liquor better than this.  
  
"I take it you were planning on capturing me single-handedly and throwing me in prison where I belong?" she said, hoping that the dizzy feeling would go away. Why was it so hot all of the sudden?  
  
"You're a pirate," Norrington replied, deadpan. She looked a little pale, he noted.  
  
"It's so easy for you to condemn me, isn't it?" she asked.  
  
"You were going to steal that man's ship!"  
  
"Doubtless he could've afforded another, and would've been compensated for his loss."  
  
"That's beside the point."  
  
"No, it isn't."  
  
Damn, she was making this difficult. "You don't talk much like a pirate," he said. "And I've met quite a few."  
  
"Hung quite a few is more like. My mother was a lady's maid in England before she came over. She could behave like a perfectly respectable woman, and taught me the same."  
  
"Was your father her employer?" he said without thinking, for he couldn't think of any other reason why a respectable woman would abandon such a position and raise a pirate daughter.  
  
Her eyes flashed angrily. "That was hardly gentlemanly, Commodore. And don't you pride yourself on being the epitome of propriety? My father, for your information, was a pirate. My mother got tired of being someone's servant and left England. She made Tortuga her destination because in her opinion, it was the only place where a woman of her social status could be anything other than a servant, and she was correct. She ran a tavern and did very well. And she wasn't an easy woman, I can tell you're thinking it. She married my father. Just because he was a pirate and she a barmaid doesn't mean they weren't good people."  
  
My God, thought Norrington, that seemed to be the message pounded into his head every time he met up with a pirate lately. And, considering this particular pirate, he was beginning to hope—and believe—that it was true.  
  
"So if you could have been a respectable woman, why didn't you become one?" he asked.  
  
She stared at him thoughtfully, and then, slowly, lowered the hand holding the gun. Her arm hung by her side, pistol still in hand, and he had no doubts that if he did try to run, there would be a bullet in his back in a second.  
  
"What could I have done as a so-called respectable woman? Been a servant here in Port Royal or another place like it? No, thank you, I don't think I'd like to go around taking orders from snobbery and cleaning up their messes. It's easy for you to look down on me, Commodore, and think that I have some blackened soul to become a pirate, but you had the fortunes of birth that I am lacking. You were born to a social class that allowed you to become an important member of the community, well to do and yes, respectable. Even if I had wanted to be a maid, I have no references, I came from Tortuga. I wouldn't find good work. My mother's tavern was burned in an accident, and it was no easy job to be a woman owning such a place. She had the connection of my father whereas I was alone. So what then, Commodore? Should I have just become a whore?"  
  
"What about your father?" he asked.  
  
"Dead, died on the seas fighting another pirate's ship. The kind of death he would have wanted."  
  
He considered for a moment. "You have your own ship then?"  
  
She flinched slightly. "No, I was a member of another man's crew."  
  
"Then you served just as you would've served as a maid."  
  
"I took orders from my captain, yes. But the crewmembers all ate the same food at the end of the day, and even the lowest deck swab may yet aspire to be a captain. Tell me, what maid in Port Royal could dream of becoming a high-status lady in town?"  
  
"I'm afraid you've backed me into a corner," he said. "You've argued your case so eloquently. But tell me, have you a name?"  
  
"Ah, yes, you'll want to read it out when you hang me. Dinah, Commodore, since you asked so nicely."  
  
"Actually," said Norrington, who was beginning to feel like a bit of a heel for being the one who was supposed to hang the lovely lady, "I had no intention of capturing you when I came over here."  
  
She raised her eyebrows incredulously.  
  
"No, really. I was just going to see the blacksmith across the way, Will Turner. We're acquaintances, you see. And there you were, so I just..." he held out his hands. "You know the rest."  
  
Dinah stared at him, knees quivering beneath her skirt. Damned knees, she thought angrily. The chances that he was telling the truth were miniscule, and yet she wanted to believe him so much.  
  
"Get out," she said.  
  
"What?" he asked, surprised.  
  
"Get out. You can't just stand there forever, and I don't really want to shoot you. Either you'll be back in fifteen minutes with more soldiers or you won't, and I don't really care anymore. So get out."  
  
James, slightly befuddled, turned and silently walked out, hoping that now he could just go home and forget Dinah and get on with his life tomorrow. 


	4. Norrington's Dream

This is not happening, Dinah told herself firmly. She closed her eyes tightly and counted slowly. When I open my eyes, she thought, I'll find that I hit my head on something and am coming to just now, and that there is no handsome Commodore and no weak knees.  
  
Unfortunately, when she opened her eyes again there was nothing but the ceiling of her room in the tavern. She was laying on her back on the bed, trying over and over again to make it all go away, because things like this were just not supposed to happen. These were fairy stories; things made up by young girls that never really came true. Especially not for women like her, pirates and vagabonds of ill breeding.  
  
And yet, here she was in a new green dress, knowing perfectly well that only a short time before Norrington had stood in the doorway and spoken with her.  
  
Her mother had said that when she first saw her father, her knees had gone weak. Dinah had never understood or believed it. It was a figure of speech, after all, a way for her mother to say that she'd found her father handsome without using the exact words.  
  
But now Dinah knew that she'd been wrong—it was literal. She'd never thought that a man could induce such feelings in her. When she thought of the men in her life, her father was the only one she could remember having any affection towards. Even the few young pirates-to-be in Tortuga that she'd cavorted with had been nothing more than a bit of fun and adolescent rebellion, if such a thing even existed in Tortuga. And when she thought of her last encounter with a man, with Stanton, who had had romantic (or at least lustful) feelings towards her, she would've thought that any talk of actual weak-knees and pounding hearts was completely ridiculous. Love, she would've said, was fond feelings and mutual respect, perhaps, not this rush of feeling that everyone claimed it was.  
  
But now she knew. When she thought back to the sword fight on the ship, she realized she'd had it then, though perhaps not as much, and it had disguised itself as the adrenaline rush of a fight. And when she'd seen him in the street, her heart had begun to pound against her chest, but she'd attributed it to fear and shock at being discovered so quickly. But after what had happened in that very room, she could no longer deny it. Commodore Norrington brought about feelings that she had thought were a myth, and even in that ridiculous powdered wig.  
  
"This cannot be happening," Dinah told the ceiling with a groan. "I don't believe in things like this! Perhaps," she mused, "it's the rum after all."  
  
But it was no use, and she knew it, all in all as pointless as blaming gravity for falling in love.  
  
***  
  
James had made up his mind to just let her go long before, during their conversation in her bedroom. She stirred up too much—what? He couldn't name it. Taking the time to capture her (perhaps touch her hands and wrists as he handcuffed her, how divine it would be) and then to hang her would be possibly more than he could bear. So he would quit while he was ahead and put the whole incident behind him.  
  
But forgetting about Dinah was proving more difficult than expected.  
  
He undressed that evening and got into bed, the lady pirate still dominating his thoughts. He was rather cross about it, but as he put out the candles he decided that he'd just get it out of his system now, and by morning she would be forgotten. And so he allowed himself to drift off to sleep thinking about her, and imagining her in different situations, usually standing by his side.  
  
Was it any surprise that he dreamt of her that night?  
  
She was on the small, desolate island where he had found Elizabeth and Jack Sparrow abandoned a year and a half before. Unlike Elizabeth, she wasn't in her underclothes; she was dressed to the nines in an expensive-looking gown. He realized later that it was the same dress Elizabeth had been wearing when he had proposed to her.  
  
Dinah had been standing on the beach staring out to sea. She was barefoot and her long hair was blowing out behind her. There had been a bottle of rum clutched in one of her hands. James had been walking towards her, wearing his Commodore's uniform and even the wig. He wasn't sure how he had gotten there, because there were no ships in sight.  
  
He had called out her name and she had turned and looked at him, raising the rum bottle to her lips.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she had asked him, as if it wasn't obvious.  
  
"I've come to rescue you," he told her.  
  
She had turned back towards the ocean, smiling. "Who said I wanted to be rescued?" He had no answer and had stood next to her, watching the waves crashing on the sand. After a moment, she had said, "why are you really here, Commodore?"  
  
And then he had said a very shocking thing indeed. "Because I am in love with you."  
  
She had turned to face him, and he had leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips. They had stood staring at each other, and she had lifted her free hand and placed it softly on his shoulder, one finger touching the bare skin on his neck.  
  
"I don't love you," she had said coldly.  
  
"Because... because you're a pirate, and I'm a commodore," he had finished lamely.  
  
Then, she had leaned forward and put her lips close to his ear and whispered, "your status has nothing to do with it, you fool. Did you honestly think I cared for you? As if any woman could love a man like you. Didn't Elizabeth leave you for a blacksmith and a pirate? Haven't you figured it out yet, Commodore?" And she had leaned back and laughed, lifting the rum bottle again and turning away from him to walk back down the beach.  
  
He awoke drenched in cold sweat just as the sun was coming over the horizon. His first thought was that it had been a ridiculous dream because Dinah couldn't possibly know about what had happened between him and Elizabeth. No one knew about that except for Elizabeth, Will, Governor Swann and, unfortunately, Jack Sparrow. There had been a few rumors around the town, gossip that the Commodore and Miss Swann were engaged, but once her marriage to Will had been announced everyone stopped and decided they must've been wrong, and it had never happened.  
  
Yes, he thought, it was ridiculous because Dinah didn't know about Elizabeth. Then he realized that his first thought should've been that it was ridiculous because he wasn't in love with Dinah. And yet, that had never even crossed his mind.  
  
"I can't be," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "It isn't possible. She's a pirate."  
  
But he knew that somehow, he was. And he knew that he was not going to be able to get the dream—the nightmare—out of his head. The thought that Dinah hated him was terrible. She had said nothing to indicate whether it was true or not the day before, but he didn't want to have to wonder—and he was sure he would be wondering for the rest of his life.  
  
He stood and began dressing hurriedly, mind already made up.  
  
There was nothing else to do, he decided, but go and ask her himself. 


	5. Firstname basis

Dinah sat at the window, chin cupped in her hands, and wished, for the first time in her life, to be someone else. She had never been ashamed of her upbringing in Tortuga, but if she had been a lady, then things would be so much easier. There would be a standard to uphold, and she wouldn't have to worry about her behavior when it came to the Commodore so. A large part of her wanted to rush down to his office and tell him everything, but that would be both foolhardy and dangerous. He wouldn't let her slip away so easily. After he had left the day before, she had been certain he would return with reinforcements at any moment, and only now was she beginning to believe that he wouldn't.  
  
She had indulged herself in a bit of fantasy that morning, imagining what it would be like to kiss Norrington. She was beginning to think it had been a mistake, for now she just wanted to test out the real thing all the more.  
  
Someone knocked on the door, and Dinah jumped. She rose gracefully from her seat, untwisting her skirt from around her legs. It was probably the bartender coming to demand more rent money for the room or else kick her out.  
  
Dinah unlocked the door and opened it a crack, looking down at her hands on the knob so that the first thing she saw was the shoes of her visitor. They were much nicer shoes than a bartender had business wearing. Perhaps he had stolen them, she thought. But as her eyes traveled upward and she saw the breeches, sword, coat with brocade, she knew who it was. And finally she reached his face—and the wig again, for God's sake did the man never take off that damned wig?  
  
Dinah moved to shut the door again, but he quickly shifted and blocked it with his shoulder. She was rather surprised that he was being so forceful. He peered in at her, and she gave up trying to push the door shut. He weighed more than her and held the advantage.  
  
She glared at him through the crack in the door. He could only see half of her face pressed against the opening, and she looked none too happy to see him. Perhaps his fears were about to be confirmed, after all. But he was here now, and he'd look even stupider if he just turned around a left like a coward.  
  
"I just want to talk to you," he told her. "Please. If I was going to capture you, I would've done it by now, don't you think?"  
  
There was a moment's pause and he thought she might try to shut the door again—and this time, he wouldn't stop her. But then she stepped back and opened the door wider, just enough so he could step inside. He hesitated, but she gestured for him to come in and he quickly stepped through.  
  
James clasped his hands behind his back and looked her over, wondering where to begin. She was still as lovely as he remembered her being—he'd hoped he'd been exaggerating her charms—and wearing the same dress as the day before. It was probably the only one she had, he thought, especially considering that she had been dressed like a man when he had first seen her.  
  
He began to pace back and forth across one side of the room, hands still clasped together, head bowed, not looking at her and wondering how to ask her what he wanted to ask her.  
  
"Perhaps you'd better tell me why you're here," she said after he'd been silent for a moment. She seemed a bit annoyed, and he could see why. His behavior wasn't particularly courteous, and he had shown up unannounced and uninvited. "And stop pacing, you're making me dizzy."  
  
He looked her in the face, finally, and opened his mouth to ask, but faltered at the last second. And, thinking of the dream, he blurted, "do you know who Elizabeth Swann is?"  
  
She looked surprised. "Aye, she's the Governor's daughter and the woman who was taken aboard the Black Pearl a while back. Kidnapped by the cursed Barbossa, and then rescued by Jack Sparrow and that blacksmith, the pirate's son. Everyone knows that, Commodore, it's a popular tale in Tortuga. We pirates do enjoy sharing the better stories from our crews."  
  
"Is that all you know about her?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Aye. Is there something else I should know? Has she taken up with Sparrow again or something?"  
  
"No," James said, quite relieved, although the idea of Elizabeth joining Jack Sparrow again was enough to make his blood run cold. He'd had enough trouble with that man already. "Nothing else."  
  
And he began pacing again, although in much shorter lines.  
  
Dinah watched him again for another minute or so. She couldn't imagine what was making him so nervous, and it was driving her mad. She wrung her hands and finally said, "you can't have come all the way over here just to ask me that. So what's the real reason?"  
  
He froze in his tracks again and looked at her, staring into her eyes. And he didn't see any deep hatred in them. "Do you think I'm the most vile man you've ever met?" he asked her, the worry clear in his voice.  
  
Dinah immediately thought of Stanton again, and of the night he had given her the ultimatum. He had been a little bit drunk that night—well, fairly drunk, actually, for Stanton was always a little bit drunk, but it had been worse than usual—and he had managed somehow to corner her alone below deck. She'd had her back literally against the wall, and Stanton, stinking of rum and filth, had leaned in and pressed his mouth to hers. He had managed to snake his hand up beneath her shirt, and she had been numb with shock and revulsion, frozen for a few moments before forcing him off of her and slapping him hard across the face. He'd become furious instantly, yelling about how she thought she was better than he was, he'd teach her to take such a high-and-mighty attitude, she'd be sorry she'd refused. And she had told him, quite calmly, that she would rather die than touch him.  
  
James watched her face after he'd asked the question, a strange, sad look coming into her eyes. What was she thinking of, he wondered? She was silent for what felt like a very long time and finally she looked up and met his eyes again. "No, Commodore, nowhere near."  
  
Relief washed over him. She didn't despise him. In fact, judging by her answer, she seemed to place him at the other end of the spectrum, although that could just be wishful thinking on his part. But something was still bothering him... he almost laughed aloud when he realized what it was. She was still calling him Commodore, and he didn't want her to have to address him so formally.  
  
"James," he told her, and she looked up. She hadn't expected him to speak.  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's James, if you don't mind. Much shorter than 'Commodore.'"  
  
She smiled, and his heart leapt. "Alright. James, then." James, she thought, what a wonderful name, she'd never really thought about it before.  
  
He took a step towards her. "Dinah... how long are you going to stay in Port Royal?"  
  
"I don't know. Not much longer, I'd wager. I can't stay here forever. Although it's much more difficult now, since your men are watching the docks for any sign of me."  
  
"I didn't tell them you were a woman," he said. "They aren't looking for anyone of your description... just a pirate, that's all they know."  
  
She had somehow moved even closer without realizing it, and she looked up into his eyes. He was a little taller than she was. "Why didn't you tell them I was a woman?" she asked softly. "If they find out you lied, you'll be in terrible trouble."  
  
"I don't care," he said, leaning towards her ever so slowly, and she began to bend towards him as well. His lips met hers and he kissed her softly, raising one hand and touching her cheek gently, brushing back a strand of her hair.  
  
Dinah's knees were doing it again, worse than ever, and she wished that this kiss would never end. But of course, it had to. They broke apart, and she took a hasty step back, pressing one hand to her flushed cheek.  
  
Dinah stepped over to the door, legs feeling like they weren't sturdy enough for her body. Damned knees, but why did he have to be so handsome and so, so wonderful? She fumbled with the latch, finally opening the door and moving to one side. "You'd better go. They'll be expecting you at your office."  
  
He obliged, disappointed. He didn't want to leave her now. Or ever again, he thought. Who'd have thought he'd go from the Governor's daughter to a pirate? How odd.  
  
"Goodbye, Dinah," he said with a small smile.  
  
"Goodbye, James," she replied, before shutting the door. He heard the lock turn and headed back down the hallway. He had wanted to ask if he could call on her again, since propriety demanded such permissions. But then, he had shown up unannounced twice now, and this was no ordinary courtship. He would simply have to break the rules...  
  
AN: thanks to all my reviewers. As for the mentioned smoochies... well, that's all I can give you for now, so you're just going to have to stick around for further chapters. Mwahaha. 


	6. Dinah at Dinner

AN: thanks loads for pointing out that I had anon. reviews disabled. I hadn't realized at all.  
  
Dinah's heart had been screaming all day, telling her that she should run to find him, tell him she would give up her wicked ways and settle down as a proper lady for him, or just stay in Port Royal and have an affair with him on the sly if that was all he would give her. But that would mean ignoring her impulses to get revenge on Stanton. She wanted to slit his dirty throat for what he had done to her. She supposed she had inherited her father's pirate tendencies and taste for revenge in the same way that she had inherited her mother's auburn hair and green eyes. She was rather thankful, she thought with a smile, that it hadn't been the other way around.  
  
If only it weren't for Stanton, she didn't think anything would stop her from staying with the Commodore. Her father had long since been dead, her mother buried nearly two years before. She had no ship, no crew. There was nothing holding her to Tortuga and the pirate's life except the thirst to prove Stanton wrong. "You'll see, girl," he had snarled as he had forced her off the plank, "you'll amount to nothing. You'll wish you'd never crossed me!" She had to show him that those words were not true, and the best way to do that would be with the cold blade of a sword against his flesh.  
  
But the kiss had complicated things a bit. Before she hadn't thought that the Commodore—James, she reminded herself with a dreamy sigh—returned her feelings. She had been sure that it was a foolish one-sided affection and nothing ever could or would come of it. Then he had shown up again, and he had kissed her. He didn't seem like the kind of man to just go around kissing people unless he had feelings for them.  
  
Although at the moment determining the character of men didn't seem to be her strong point. She had placed Stanton in the "disgusting but harmless" box, and look where that had gotten her. If things hadn't turned out as they had with James, then she would probably be hanging by her neck by now. She had underestimated the pirate captain, perhaps she was underestimating the Commodore's lust for capturing pirates as well. But that would go against the facts. He'd had countless opportunities to capture her, it seemed pointless and rather dangerous for him to continue in this cat-and- mouse game if he just wanted to see her hang. If she chose to leave, then he would have failed, and history told her that when he wanted to hang somebody, they generally ended up dead.  
  
Except for Jack Sparrow, but then, that had been a very exceptional situation.  
  
Dinah sighed and cursed Stanton silently. He was still a thorn in her side, possibly the only thing keeping her from staying here with James. She hadn't been a very good pirate, she had to admit, and she would've been willing to give it up if it hadn't been for her grudge. She tried not to think of him, deciding she was wasting far too much time on Stanton when this was her only opportunity to think of James, and maybe see him again.  
  
She could still feel his lips on hers, the ghost of the delicious kiss lingering and taunting her. You told him to leave, a voice in her head hissed. You told him to leave when you could've had more kisses.  
  
Shut up, she told it snippily. That would just be throwing more logs on this fire, and it needs to stop! It's completely delusional to think this can happen!  
  
Is it? Said the hissing little voice again. Why don't you just kill Stanton and come back?  
  
Dinah slammed her palm on the table in frustration, because she just didn't know what to do anymore. In Tortuga it had been so easy. She would pillage and plunder and enjoy a pirate's life as her father had done before her. She would be free of these silly rules that respectable people lived by. But nothing made sense anymore.  
  
***  
  
He had to see her again, that was all there was to it. He had to convince her somehow that she should not leave Port Royal. She had said herself that her mother had taught her to behave like a lady, and now she could put it to good use. No one had to know that she was a pirate, and even if there were rumors of her father and her past in Tortuga, it probably wouldn't matter. After all, Will Turner had been involved in such scandal, and his father had been a pirate, and if anything it had made him a bit more popular since he was now so intriguing.  
  
James didn't care either way. He couldn't let Dinah go. He had lost Elizabeth to Will, but now that it was actual love, he wouldn't give up so easily.  
  
He would just talk to her now, nothing rash. What was it that Sparrow had said so often? Ah yes, wait for the opportune moment, and this wasn't yet it. But he could still see her. She was stuck in that dirty little tavern with no place to go. By the time he was leaving his office he had made up his mind: he would take her back to his house for dinner. He took the carriage to the tavern this time, so that they wouldn't be seen walking down the street together. It was still too soon for anything like that, still a bit too dangerous.  
  
The bartender hardly looked surprised to see him this time. He stood before her door, straightening his coat nervously, and then knocked softly. He heard her footsteps, and she opened the door a crack again.  
  
"You're back," Dinah breathed, hoping that perhaps he would push the door open, take her in his arms and begin to kiss her again. But of course, he didn't. He merely nodded in agreement that he was, indeed, back and waited while she stepped back and opened the door.  
  
"I trust you have not had anything to eat yet this evening?" he asked.  
  
"No," she said questioningly, wondering where he was going with all of this.  
  
"Perhaps you'd like to come back and—and dine with me?" He had the same nervous, anticipating look he'd had when he'd asked her what she thought of him.  
  
"Yes, that would be lovely," Dinah told him, despite her better judgement.  
  
She locked her door and followed him to his carriage. He helped her in, every bit the gentleman. She sat down and arranged her skirt around her, folding her hands in her lap to avoid trying to hold his, as she was sorely tempted to do.  
  
"I'm not dressed well enough to be calling at your house," she said. "People will talk."  
  
"What people? My carriage driver, the maid, the cook? Let them talk," he said, waving his hand and dismissing it. "It'll give them something to gossip about, as I'm sure they enjoy doing."  
  
She smiled. "Oh, yes, I'm sure they do." There was a slight pause. "I suppose that you won't be cooking for me yourself then," she said with another smile.  
  
"I look most unbecoming in an apron," he replied.  
  
Dinah almost lost control of her tongue—she desperately wanted to tell him that she'd have to test that out for herself. But nothing was going to happen between them, she reminded herself, and so there would be nothing of that sort. She quickly tried to push the thoughts from her mind before it could conjure up an image of him wearing an apron—and only an apron.  
  
"I'm glad you've decided to join me," he said. "I'd wager that this is a bit better than whatever you were getting in that tavern."  
  
"Why did you invite me to dinner, James? It's hardly appropriate."  
  
"I had to see you again," he said. "And seeing as you're a pirate, whether it is 'appropriate' or not didn't seem to matter very much."  
  
He leaned towards her as he spoke, and her head tilted slightly. He was just about to kiss her again when the carriage jerked to a halt and she pulled away abruptly.  
  
"Well," he said, just to break the awkward silence, as he stepped out and offered her a hand again. She descended gracefully and took the arm he offered, and he led her up the steps.  
  
The door was opened for them, and a young serving maid was just finishing setting the table. "There'll be two tonight," Norrington told her, and she nodded and quickly went about setting another place. James pulled out her chair for her, and Dinah blushed ever so slightly. She wasn't used to being fawned over so.  
  
She fingered the silverware nervously, and James noticed for the first time the thick gold bracelet fastened around her wrist. It was easily two inches wide. He wondered about its origins. Had she stolen it, he wondered, or had it been a gift, from her father perhaps or, far more upsetting, a suitor? It obviously meant something to her, if she was wearing it now.  
  
"So, are you still planning on leaving Port Royal?" he asked as the maid came and set plates in front of them.  
  
"I have business to finish in Tortuga," Dinah replied, as soon as the girl had left the room.  
  
"So complete it and come back," James said. That would be the obvious thing to do, wouldn't it, if she really loved him?  
  
"It's not that easy. I wish it was. In Tortuga—nothing ever really ends. I'll finish what I'm mixed up in now, but in the process I'll get involved in something else, and then I'll have to finish that, and it will continue in that manner. Once I leave, I won't return."  
  
"It's that simple, is it?"  
  
"There's nothing simple about it." She sighed. "Please, James, don't try to make this more than it is. I'm not a lady. I couldn't stay here. Nothing can come of this. You know that."  
  
If she thought that he would give up that easily then his reputation for hunting down pirates had failed him, he thought. But now was not the opportune moment—there he was, using Jack Sparrow's saying again, what was he turning into?  
  
They finished the meal, and Dinah stood to leave. James also rose and began to walk towards the door with her.  
  
"Don't bother. I'll walk."  
  
"I insist," he said, and they walked back to the carriage.  
  
"Is there nothing I can do to change your mind?" he asked as they sat, alone in the dark carriage.  
  
"I doubt it," she replied, still wishing and hoping that there was.  
  
"Don't decide so soon. Please, Dinah," he said, leaning in, and this time the carriage didn't stop just before he could kiss her. His lips met hers and and their kiss was longer and more passionate than the first had been.  
  
She pulled back, licking her lips and looking down at her lap. Again, with impeccably bad timing, they had arrived at their destination, and she descended the carriage without his help this time. She pause, then leaned back up for a quick, soft kiss.  
  
"Goodnight, James," she said, and disappeared inside the tavern.  
  
The opportune moment better damned well come soon, he thought, because he couldn't take much more of this. 


	7. The Pirate Captain

He had taken no risks with Elizabeth, he had realized. Everything had been by the books: his proposal, his feeble rescue attempt. Will had risked his life for Elizabeth, and James wasn't sure that he'd have been willing to do that much. But he was willing to risk everything for Dinah. He would die for her, if that was what it took, and now it was time to take some risks.  
  
He knew that the key was to prove to her that she could masquerade as a lady and no one would be any the wiser. The dress had given him the idea, and he was certain that it would work. Nothing could prove his point as well as this could.  
  
He had seen the dress in a shop window, a lovely, ornate blue gown that would be perfect if only it were on Dinah. And thinking of fancy dresses had brought to mind the small dinner that Governor Swann was having. He had, of course, been invited, being both a high ranking official and a friend, but with everything that had been happening he had forgotten about it. It would be perfectly acceptable to bring a guest...  
  
So James had rushed into the shop and immediately purchased the dress and the appropriate accessories. He would bring her with him, and no doubt have the most beautiful companion there.  
  
He had been rather surprised at just how much a dress like that cost, but it didn't matter. It had been made for her, it seemed, and a few measly bits of money were not going to stop him from winning Dinah over. Now, he stood outside her door, holding the large box and waiting for her to turn the lock and open the door. For a moment he was afraid that she had left, but then he heard the familiar click and the door swung back. She peered out the crack and then immediately stepped back to allow him entrance. She eyed the box in his arms curiously.  
  
"You really must stop coming here, Commodore," she said as she shut the door.  
  
"I thought we agreed it was James?"  
  
"There's just something about the way 'Commodore' rolls across the tongue," she said mischievously, immediately biting her tongue. She'd just had a bit to drink, and it was affecting her ability to hold her tongue. Why was she becoming so ill adept at holding her liquor lately? Perhaps it wasn't the rum after all, she thought, but something else that she was drunk on.  
  
"I've brought you a gift," he said, thankfully not noticing or choosing to ignore it. He set the box down on the table. Dinah lifted the lid gingerly, running her hand across the fabric of the gown.  
  
"I can't accept this," she said.  
  
"You can, and you shall. You'll need something to wear tomorrow."  
  
"And what, may I ask, is tomorrow?"  
  
"Governor Swann is having a bit of a party. I had hoped that you would accompany me," he said, that hopeful, not-quite-sure tone in his voice again.  
  
"I don't think that would be wise," she said, setting the lid back on the box.  
  
"Please, just think about it. You've said you can behave like a lady, now's your chance to prove it. What have you got to lose?" Ah, he had issued a challenge. Damn it, she'd never be able to refuse. Another trait she had inherited from her father, the inability to turn down a dare no matter how stupid it might be.  
  
"My life, that's what I've got to lose," she said. "One slip, and I'm hanging by my neck. You can't be serious," she added, hoping he would laugh and say no, he just thought it was a pretty dress and bought it on a whim since she was wearing the same one every time he saw her.  
  
"Oh, but I am," he replied. "Look, think it over, alright? I have to go, but I'll be here to get you tomorrow evening, and if you're ready, then I'll take that as a yes to my invitation." He leaned down and kissed her quickly on the lips. "Goodbye, Dinah."  
  
He turned and walked swiftly from the room, closing the door behind him and hurrying down the stairs before she could tell him anything else. Now she would have twenty-four hours to brood over it, hopefully that would improve his chances of taking her.  
  
Dinah stared after him. It was infuriating, really, how he managed to do these things to her. And yet... to dress up in a lovely gown and play the lady might be fun. Just for one night, after all.  
  
***  
  
Stanton stood on the deck of the Bonnie Lass, staring out across the sea as Tortuga's shore disappeared. He had hoped to find Dinah there, or at least word of her whereabouts. But everyone was still under the impression that she was with him. If she'd managed to get out of Port Royal, then someone in Tortuga should've known about it by now. So Stanton could only surmise that Dinah had been hanged by that devil Norrington, and was probably swinging from some rock with a sign round her neck.  
  
It hadn't really been his intention to get Dinah killed. He had wanted to put the arrogant lass in her place, teach her to stop looking down her nose at him. He had been sure that she would relent once she was standing at the end of the plank, staring down at the water below, and when she hadn't he had been forced to go through with it or look like a fool and give the girl even more to gloat about. And then he had been certain that she would send word to him to return, offering herself to him at last, but again she hadn't. He had underestimated her pride, never dreaming that she would rather die than give him what he wanted. Just like her father, and Stanton had never liked Stede Morgan. He'd been glad when Morgan's ship had sunk to the bottom of the ocean, although disappointed that it hadn't been at his hand. But that didn't mean that there weren't certain redeeming qualities about Morgan's pretty daughter, Dinah.  
  
However, this situation could still be turned to his advantage. It was, after all, an excuse to prey on Port Royal. He had to avenge the death of his loyal crewmember. What did it matter if it was his fault, anyway? That was in the past and of no consequence.  
  
"What now, Captain," a smelly looking fellow with several missing teeth asked.  
  
"We sail to Port Royal," said Stanton with a grin. "They've killed our girl Dinah. Can't have that, now can we? They'll have to pay."  
  
"But sir, you left Dinah there, sir. Said you 'oped she hung." He was clearly very confused by Stanton's apparent change of heart.  
  
"Did I ask you about that?" Stanton snapped, hand travelling to his sword hilt.  
  
"N-no, sir. Port Royal it is, sir." And he scurried off to follow orders or be locked in the brig for disobedience. Stanton had to run a tight ship, or these fellows would get out of hand. He should've locked Dinah up more, he thought, and given her less food, although it had seemed a shame at the time to let a creature like that starve to nothing. But now he'd never have her, and that was far more disappointing than having her as skin and bones.  
  
Stanton stroked his beard and laughed. There was something so invigorating about knowing that soon he'd be blowing some poor, unassuming settlement to pieces with his canons, sending his scurvy crew to shore to terrorize women and children and steal as much as they could carry. And there was something extra-special about Port Royal. Perhaps he'd be the one to kill the elusive Commodore Norrington. And then he'd go down in history, the famous, heroic Stanton who had rid the seas of the pirate-chasing Commodore. Yes, he thought, stroking his grimy beard some more, this was just the excuse he had been looking for to send his crew into Port Royal. Now that he had a death to avenge, they would stop complaining about the town's security measures and get to obeying orders. And Stanton would just sit back on his ship and enjoy the carnage, safe from the soldiers and the noose. 


	8. Hang Propriety

AN: Time for "thank the reviewers!" I love you all. A special note to XPUNKROCKGODESSX: yes, I am a loser. But at least I'm a loser who can spell "goddess." Sorry, everyone, you can hate the fic if you want, but personal insults are uncalled for.  
  
Please, let her be ready, James prayed as he knocked tentatively on Dinah's door. He had tried to believe that she would go with him, but nothing was certain. It would be easy for her to turn him down.  
  
At least he'd stopped grappling with the fact that she was a pirate, for he'd discovered a moral loophole. He'd often said, throughout his years with the Royal Navy, that he intended to see that any man who sailed under a pirate flag got what he deserved. And Dinah was definitely not a man. So, he had sworn nothing against her, after all. So it wasn't exactly the truth about his meaning, he hadn't been clear enough and that was that.  
  
She pulled open the door a moment later, peering out through the crack as she had done before, and he thought he detected a faint blush on her cheeks.  
  
"Don't laugh," she said through clenched teeth.  
  
"I promise—although I really don't know why I would—," he stopped short as she pulled the door open. He'd been wrong about the dress—it looked ten times more beautiful on her than he'd thought it would. Dinah stared at him as he stared at her.  
  
"What? What are you gaping at? Is it as bad as all of that?"  
  
"You look... ravishing," he said. The dress hugged her torso tightly, and was rather low-cut. The line of the skirt accentuated her slim waist. Her hair, while not exactly in one of the popular styles, was pinned up in a way that was close enough to pass. It must've been difficult, he realized, for her to get that dress on by herself, as gowns such as that were designed as a two-person task.  
  
He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it gently. Dinah wrapped her other arm around his neck, drawing him closer and pressing her lips to his.  
  
He broke away after a moment. "Come on. We have to be going," he said, pulling her down the hallway. Her hand, he thought, felt perfect in his. He looked down at it and noticed the thick gold bracelet was still clasped around her wrist. It was a decent quality piece of jewelry, and didn't look out of place with the dress. She seemed to notice him looking at it as they headed down the stairs, and reached over and rubbed the skin around it with her other hand.  
  
It seemed pointless to ask about it, he would probably only ruin what chances they had of a nice evening—which, he had to admit, were slim considering. But it was a chance he was willing to take, a risk he wanted to take, and he had no regrets as he helped her into the carriage and then out again when they arrived at their destination.  
  
She took his arm, and her fingers tightened momentarily around it before relaxing. After all she had done, then number of times she'd risked Stanton's sword (or anyone else's) at her throat, this was what made her nervous. James smiled at her quickly before resuming the forward position and leading her into the party.  
  
"This is madness," she said through clenched teeth, maintaining her smile.  
  
"Yes, you're probably right," he agreed in the same manner as Governor Swann himself arrived to greet them.  
  
"Ah, Commodore," he said. "And who is this enchanting lady?"  
  
"May I present Miss Wells," James replied, thinking up a false name quickly, "she is visiting Port Royal for an indefinite length of time."  
  
"Oh!" said the Governor, smiling, "I do hope you'll decide to stay here permanently, Miss Wells. No matter what the Commodore has been telling you, it is a very nice town. I'm sure a lady such as yourself would be very happy here. Oh, excuse me, there seem to be more guests arriving."  
  
James caught sight of Will and Elizabeth across the room. Elizabeth smiled, and James ushered Dinah over towards them.  
  
"Good-evening, Mrs. Turner," he said, "Mr. Turner."  
  
"Commodore," Elizabeth replied, smiling widely again. Her pregnancy was not yet evident under the layers of her dress, but it would be soon enough. "And you've brought a guest. I must say, I'm rather shocked."  
  
"Miss Dinah Wells," James said. "She has recently arrived in Port Royal." Dinah smiled, her cheek twitching slightly and giving away her nervousness. It's just a party, she told herself, all she had to do was stand around looking pretty for a while.  
  
"Excuse me for a moment, Dinah, I have to see Gillette about some business. I assure you, I'm leaving you in capable hands," James said suddenly as he saw Gillette enter, and he turned and headed off, Dinah staring after him stammering.  
  
"Don't look so terrified," Elizabeth said, her voice friendly. "I promise, Will and I don't bite."  
  
Dinah managed another nervous smile and a bit of a laugh. "Will Turner, you said? The pirate's son?"  
  
"Oh, so you've already heard," Will said, chuckling.  
  
"More than you could possibly imagine," she replied absentmindedly, looking for James, who had disappeared in the crowd. Damn him for abandoning her like this!  
  
"How do you know the Commodore?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
"We met shortly after I arrived in Port Royal," Dinah said, silently adding, while we were both trying to kill each other. "We have met each other several times since then."  
  
"He's a fine man," Elizabeth said.  
  
"Yes," Dinah agreed. "One of the finest I have ever met."  
  
"Do you think you'll marry him?" whispered Elizabeth as Will paused to look at a candelabra on the wall.  
  
Dinah blanched. "N-no." She looked down, wishing she could give the opposite answer. "I don't think I'll be in Port Royal much longer."  
  
"That's a shame," said Elizabeth. "He needs a good woman in his life."  
  
Will touched her arm lightly. "Elizabeth, I believe your father is calling us over."  
  
Elizabeth looked up at Governor Swann, who did seem to be trying to get his daughter's attention. She turned back to Dinah with an apologetic smile. "I'm afraid I must desert you again. Don't worry, the Commodore will probably finish up his business in a moment."  
  
Dammit, Dinah thought vehemently as the couple headed off. Why had he brought her, if she was to stand alone all evening? And what business was this, anyhow? Telling Gillette she was a pirate and setting her up for a bit of public humiliation... but no, a man who kissed her like James kissed her could not possibly be setting her up.  
  
She drifted out of the open doors into the back garden, which was currently deserted. The night breeze blew a few curls against her neck, and she stared into the sky. A million stars glittered above her, and she thought about wishing on them as a child. There was only one thing she wanted now, and it could not come true. Damn Stanton, this was all his fault.  
  
She jumped as someone placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. James smiled, laughing at startling her.  
  
"I could kill you for leaving me like that," she said, fighting back the smile that was forming simply from being back with him.  
  
"Oh, really?" he said, the corners of his lips twitching as well.  
  
James leaned forward and kissed her, and she returned the favor, looping her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist. He took a step back and his knees brushed a bench. He sank down upon it, pulling her with him onto his lap.  
  
She tightened her arms around his neck. Her body was pressed tightly against his, only the fabric of their clothing separating them. "This is hardly respectable behavior, Commodore," she whispered.  
  
"Do you care?" he hissed back. Hang propriety, why had he been so obsessed with it in the first place? This was far better than anything proper could ever be.  
  
She smiled against his lips. "No." That was all the answer he needed. He pressed his lips to hers again, running his hand up her neck and letting his fingers tangle in her hair. A few more locks slipped down from their pins, and Dinah paid no attention to them.  
  
"Ahem."  
  
Dinah leapt off of his lap, gasping. Governor Swann stood a few feet away, hands clasped behind his back. Dinah opened her mouth, closed it again, looking at the ground the entire time and, James suspected, blushing. "Excuse me," she said softly, and hurried back inside as fast as she could.  
  
James stood slowly, regarding the Governor, trying to decide what to do. Both men stared at each other for a moment, before Swann finally spoke. "Well, James, I certainly hope you plan on marrying the girl. You do realize that her reputation could've been ruined if anyone had seen you."  
  
Thinking of marrying Dinah brought back the startling reality that she was planning to leave. He found himself responding rather icily, "last time I planned on marrying someone, Governor, it didn't work out very well. So I think I'll decline comment on that for the moment."  
  
The governor looked taken aback. "You can't blame me for what happened with Elizabeth. I never wanted her to marry a blacksmith."  
  
"No, that was no one's fault. And she would not have been happy, married to me," James replied. "It is as it should be. And perhaps more advantageous than I ever expected, as I am now open to pursue the lady you just frightened away. So I hope you'll forgive me if I go and try to find her now."  
  
He turned, already regretting his rude behavior to the governor, who hadn't done anything wrong, but to worried about where Dinah had rushed off to to care about correcting the mistake at the moment. He scanned the room for her, but couldn't see any dress the color of hers, or any hair the correct, vibrant shade of auburn.  
  
Elizabeth was standing nearby chatting with another woman, and he strode over. "Have you seen Di—Miss Wells?"  
  
Elizabeth looked confused. "She headed out a few minutes ago, she looked like she was in a hurry. I thought you knew she was leaving."  
  
He headed towards the door, cursing in his head. He could just see her in her room in the tavern, gathering her things hurriedly, thinking that since she'd gotten him in trouble again it'd be best if she just left already. He had to hurry and get to her before it was too late. He could not lose her now. 


	9. A Marked Woman

James pounded on her door frantically, praying that she answered. "Dinah! Open the door!" he yelled, continuing to beat with his fist.  
  
The door latch clicked, and the door opened a crack. He saw her shadow move back across the room, and he pushed the door open and entered.  
  
She had her back to him. She'd taken off the dress and was wearing only the thin white shift that had gone underneath. It struck him as odd that he kept seeing women he was wooing in their undergarments—twice with Elizabeth, and now with Dinah as well. She'd unpinned her hair, and it hung down over her shoulders, a bit tangled.  
  
"Close the door, you were about to make quite a scene if you carried on that way."  
  
"I was afraid you were gone already."  
  
She looked back at him over her shoulder. "If I hadn't gotten stuck in that horrid corset, I would be." She continued with what she was doing, which was packing the dress and all its accessories back into the box he'd brought it to her in.  
  
She smoothed the dress, giving a small laugh, and turned, folding her arms over her breasts. She had not, he noticed, removed the golden bracelet. "You have gained the upper-hand somehow, James. You have me trapped in here, and now I am only half dressed."  
  
"Well, if you stay, perhaps you'll get to see me in a similar state," he replied, surprised at his own daring. He could not have said it if she had been a lady, nor if he'd thought that this was the first time she had been half-dressed in front of a man.  
  
She smiled. "You in nothing but an apron, perhaps," she said softly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing." She sighed. "I'm sorry I got you into trouble. Was the governor—what did he say?"  
  
"Oh, not much. He said I could've ruined your reputation. He thinks I ought to marry you." He paused. "What do you think?"  
  
"You know I cannot stay. Tonight, if anything, proved that."  
  
"We're not the first people to steal a few kisses in a dark garden, Dinah. And if we were married than it would no longer be a matter of your reputation."  
  
"James, I can't stay in Port Royal! I am a pirate."  
  
"You don't have to be anymore!" he cried. "Why, why do you have to be a pirate, Dinah? Do you love it, do you need the adventure, do you need the spray of the sea on your skin, the wind on your hair? Is it because I cannot give you that?"  
  
"No. None of those things matter to me, James, if I could stay I would. I can't just stop. It is in my blood, this life, it is what I was born to..."  
  
"Why?" he cried again, his voice raising. "Just because of your parents... your mother was born to life as a maid, and she became a bar-mistress, a pirate's wife! Why couldn't you, born a pirate, become a lady, the wife of a commodore?"  
  
"I am not my mother," she said. She stepped towards him, rubbing her wrist around the bracelet. She slid one fingernail under the clasp and it popped open, folding in half to slip off of her wrist. Something red snaked around her flesh; first he thought it was a ribbon, then a scar, and finally realized what it actually was: a tattoo.  
  
It was a dragon, curling around her wrist like a painted-on bracelet, a small spout of fire coming from its mouth. She took his hand and traced it with his index finger. "My father's ship was the Red Dragon. After my mother, she had red hair, he called her Red, and he said she could breathe fire when she was angry. She'd have to be able to, to run that bar." She looked up into his eyes. "I am a marked woman. I am forever marked as a pirate."  
  
"You could keep it covered. You could wear that bracelet, and no one would ever know..."  
  
She rested her head on his shoulder sadly, and he slid his arms around her. "I've told you the real reason. I have unfinished business. I have a score to settle."  
  
"With another pirate," he said.  
  
"Yes, another pirate."  
  
He hesitated, then asked what was perhaps the most painful question yet. "Do you love him?"  
  
She lifted her head and stared at him, looking taken aback. "No! I loathe him. He abandoned me here in Port Royal, hoping you would capture me and kill me because I was disgusted by him. And I suppose his plan has worked, you have me now, thought not in the way he meant it to happen."  
  
"So tell me his name, his ship. I'll hunt him; I'll kill him with my own hands, or hang him if you'd rather... Please, Dinah. Please."  
  
"I can't. Don't you see, turning him over to you would be as low as what he did to me. It would be treachery. It is my revenge. The knife that slits his throat should be, will be in my hand." She stepped back, putting the bracelet back on. "By the time it is all over, it will be too late. And I could even be dead. I can't tell you to wait here for me, when the chances are that I'll never be able to come back. Please, James, forget about me. Live your life. Be happy."  
  
"I can never be happy without you now. I love you, Dinah!"  
  
She looked up at him, a tear sliding down her cheek. "And I you. But I could never forgive myself if I let him get away, let him think he'd won. I wish that I could forget about it. You have no idea how much I—"  
  
But she was cut off by a blast, the unmistakable sound of cannon fire.  
  
Dinah jumped, startled by the sudden noise, and rushed to the window and peered out, gasping. "Stanton!" she whispered, her fingers tightening on the windowsill. It was impossible! What was he doing back here?  
  
James paid little attention to the word, nor grasped its significance. He was lost in his own thoughts, remembering a similar evening, the evening when all his fancy, easy little plans had changed. It could not possibly be the Pearl, back again after all this time, back with Jack Sparrow to torment him when he was already caught up in this thing with Dinah....  
  
He strode up beside her and leaned out. No, the sails were white, thank God. There was another crash as the ship fired its cannons again, and James reached out and turned Dinah towards him. "I have to go and deal with this. Please, please just stay here and we'll finish this when I return. Please." He leaned forward and kissed her quickly before turning and hurrying out the door. It was time to be the famous Commodore Norrington again, and rid Port Royal of the threat of pirates.  
  
Dinah watched him go, then turned back to the window. There was no mistaking the Bonnie Lass. She brushed back her hair and reached for her sword, marveling at the convenience of it all. With any luck, she thought, Stanton wouldn't live to see the sunrise. 


	10. Onto the Bonnie Lass

Dinah pulled on her trousers and shirt quickly, tucking her hair under the hat in one fluid motion. It was good to be in men's clothing again, comforting after the tight, frilled ball gown she'd just taken off. And even if her task was not pleasant, could possibly cost her her life, it was also comforting to be doing what she knew again, going back to the life she had expected to lead.

She tucked her sword through her belt, keeping one hand on the hilt. She would go and find Stanton. She would finish this tonight. He would not leave her sight until one of them was dead. And will a little luck, it would be him, and not her, who ended up bleeding on the ground.

She headed down the stairs, taking them in twos and barely registering that the tavern's owner had already fled the scene. Her boots clicked as she threw open the door and headed out into the night, already a ways away by the time the door slammed again. The crew would know where Stanton was planning to go. All she had to do was find one of them and she would be able to find him.

She spotted on, a filthy, mangy little sneak who looked as if he might fall over dead from some disease at any moment. He was currently involved in chasing a helpless looking woman who was shrieking at the top of her lungs. And he did not notice Dinah.

Quick as lightening, she lunged forward and tackled him into the wall of a building, pressing him there with one hand and holding her sword to his throat with the other.

"Riker," she hissed, her lips forming a smile that was more of a snarl.

"D-Dinah!" Riker squeaked, his eyes darting between her face and the sword pressed to his flesh. "We thought you were dead!"

"Then why did you return here?" She asked, pressing the blade a little bit harder.

"St-Stanton was going to avenge your death," Riker said.

"Or use it as an excuse to drag you to the lair of Commodore Norrington, only once defeated by the legendary Jack Sparrow."

"Something like that," Riker admitted.

"Well, perhaps I'll go and have a chat with our dear captain. Where is he?"

"Dunno."

She dragged him up by his shirt collar and slammed him into the wall again. "Where! So help me God, Riker, I will slit you open and make sure that you take a very, very long time to die. Where is he?"

"St-stayed aboard," Riker stammered.

"Typical." She released him, throwing him against the wall one final time. "I haven't the time to do what I'd like to you. If you try to head me off to protect him, I will kill you." But of course Riker lived by the law of every-man-for-himself, and while Dinah was perhaps not the world's best swordsman, she would beat him.

She headed towards the shore, already plotting. Stanton would probably be watching the carnage and listening to the screams. He wouldn't notice a single boat rowing out towards him. He probably wouldn't even hear the person rowing climbing onto the deck of the _Bonnie Lass_. And then, suddenly, she would make her presence known, and Stanton would realize that he was not alone on board his ship.

The crew had, indeed, left their boats on the shore. Dinah pushed one into the water, wading out to her knees, and jumped inside, hands finding the oars easily. Now, doing this again, it was easy to put James from her mind. Easy to pretend that she had never fallen in love at all.

James was barking orders in the fort when someone shouted about the boat. He turned, gazed out at the speck moving back towards the pirate's ship. He took a closer look through a spyglass, and was about to tell them to fire upon the vessel when the lone occupant turned his head slightly.

Her head, really. Oh, damn.

"Ignore it. It is one man," he said, and if they were surprised they didn't show it. He sent them off, and knew with growing dread that he would have to neglect his duties slightly. He had to go after Dinah, had to make sure she was safe.

No wonder she had looked so shocked and pale before. The pirates who had abandoned her had returned.

She hauled herself over the railing and tried to keep the click of her boots to a minimum. He had his back to her, and she crept ever closer.

Finally, close enough that she could've shot him in the back and had no qualms about her accuracy, she stopped.

"Stanton," she said, her tone that of a pleasant greeting.

He whirled around. "Dinah! My dear, you're alive." He grinned, his rotting teeth showing.

"That's more than you'll be able to say when I've finished with you," she said, raising her sword.

"Now is this really necessary?"

"You abandoned me in Norrington's port to die. I'd say it was necessary, Stanton."

"But you've managed to elude him. What a feat."

"If you think flattery will save you, you're sorely mistaken. A strange twist of fate saved my neck from the noose, but nothing will save yours from my blade."

"Just like your father. He could never leave well enough alone. I thought his death would help me gain you—but your pretty face isn't worth it girl. I'll kill you myself, have it done right."

And he drew his sword and attacked. They moved back and forth across the deck, swords glinting in the moonlight.

James Norrington, pulling himself up the side of the ship, felt his stomach drop as he heard the clink of metal against metal.

Dinah was completely absorbed in the fight. Despite the wig and the brocade, she didn't notice James's form appear behind Stanton. She lunged, feinted left, and then, in startlingly good luck, managed to knock the captain's weapon from his hand.

Stanton took two steps back. Dinah raised her sword to slit his throat.

And then she saw James.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

"I came to help you!"

"I don't need your help!" And foolishly, she'd forgotten her fight. "This is my quarrel, James, not—"

"I see how its is now," Stanton said. Dinah and James stared at him. "You've fallen in love with the Commodore. And tell me, Miss Morgan, will you whisper sweet nothings as he tells the executioner to pull the switch and drop the platform?"

"You shut up, you know nothing," she muttered, quivering with anger, her sword hanging limp at her side. And all was as Stanton had wanted it. He leapt forward and tackled her. She dropped her sword as they both flew backwards.

James watched in horror as the two pirates tumbled over the railing. He was already running across the deck and screaming her name as he heard the splash in the water below.

AN: Sorry it took so long to get this up, I've been away. And no, this isn't the end of the Dinah/Stanton battle. You'll just have to wait till the next chapter.


	11. The Battle at Sea

James hit the banister hard, scanning the water frantically for any sign of Dinah. Her hat floated on the waves, bobbing without any trace of its owner beneath. James' heart caught in his throat—there was no way it could be over already.

And then her head broke the surface, her wet hair dark and plastered half over her face. He heard her gasp, or maybe he gasped at the same moment, and relief washed over him. In that moment, he forgot that two had gone over the side of the ship.

Stanton surfaced behind Dinah, sucking in a deep breath. James's lips opened, and he screamed her name urgently. Dinah froze, half turned in the water, but Stanton was ready. He grabbed her, holding her arms tightly to her sides and plunged her beneath the water. In her shock she inhaled a mouthful of salty water. She struggled blindly beneath the water, choking and disoriented.

James watched them disappear, already mounting the railing to hurl himself over the side after her. It was the plunge into the ocean he hadn't been able to take when Elizabeth had fainted over the side of the fort, only this time he would have to pry off much more than a corset to save the girl.

He sunk into the dark water, searching frantically for Stanton and Dinah. A canon blast from the fort momentarily lit the sky and he caught a glimpse of a cloud of flaming hair a little to his right. He swam towards it, and was within reach of Stanton when the next blast illuminated the water. He reached out and latched on, wrapping on arm around Stanton's neck and trying to drag him back, away from Dinah. He could feel her hair floating back on his face and for once he wasn't glad of this small contact—it meant that she was still trapped. He dragged on Stanton's arms, dislodging one momentarily, but the pirate captain quickly pulled the limb back.

Dinah felt Stanton's grip slip and pulled her own arm forward, and when he regained his hold he didn't managed to pin her quite as firmly as before. Her hand fumbled at her side, searching blindly for something to use as a weapon.

James froze as he felt Stanton release Dinah. Another canon blast light up the water and he saw a cloud of dark blood staining the water around him. He released Stanton, kicking for the surface, his lungs burning. If he was this out of breath, how must Dinah be? She'd been under longer, and hadn't gotten a good breath to begin with…. His heart raced as he wondered if she'd have enough air, even as another, worse question loomed: whose blood was it?

He gazed around with stinging eyes, bobbing in the waves. He was screaming now, screaming her name to call her back to the surface, each second making it less likely that she'd managed to fight off Stanton. He spun in the water, heart racing in terror.

And then, a miracle, she broke through the surface gasping for air, flinging her hair back off of her face. She was clutching a small dagger in her hand.

She caught sight of him and choked out, "James!" He swam towards her, a wave clipping him in the face and sending salty water up his nose. He barely paused, barreling into her and wrapping his arms around her, pressing his lips to her wet cheeks. He never knew how they managed to stay afloat.

They swam to the rowboat and James climbed in, hauling Dinah up after him. He had lost his own hat and wig in the tussle, and only noticed when Dinah reached forwards and ran her hand through his hair. "Better, James, much better," she said softly, and he looked at her, loving her so much for making a stupid joke at that moment.

She was shivering, and he reached forwards and drew her into his arms. "You fool, you fool. What were you thinking?" he breathed into her hair.

"If you hadn't distracted me…"

"I was rescuing you!"

"It was my fight. Anyway, it doesn't matter now. I've killed him. I've done what I wanted to do." They both grew very still as the gravity of this new development hit them both. "Stanton is dead."

He rowed back to shore quickly, knowing he'd be missed at the fort. It would be difficult explaining why he was soaking wet, but once he gave the news that the captain of the ship was dead (although he'd be taking the glory on it) it would be forgotten quickly enough. They would herd the rest of the pirates out of Port Royal and be done with it. His main concern was what to do with Dinah while he took care of things.

He couldn't let her go back to the tavern. He couldn't take her to his own home in this state. He knew of only two people who might understand what he was doing.

In the chaos it was easy to get her there. He had to half drag, half beg her to come with him, especially since he refused to tell her where they were going. She seemed to sense it once they got there.

He pounded on the door with one arm, the other held Dinah to his chest. "Elizabeth! It's the Commodore! Please open the door!"

After a moment the door opened a crack and she peered out, surprise clear on her face. She opened the door wider and took in the whole scene, the unlikely couple dripping wet and standing on her doorstep. "Why you're…. why she's…. Commodore, she's a pirate!"

"Yes. But a good woman. Please, just let her stay here tonight while I take care of the rest of it. I'll come back in the morning. Please, Elizabeth."

"Of course," Elizabeth said, as he had known she would.

The more difficult thing was Dinah herself. He put his hand on her cheek as she opened her mouth to protest. "Just one night. I'll be back in the morning, and you can decide whatever you want. I won't try to stop you. Just please, give me the courtesy of not saying goodbye to you like this."

She nodded, and he turned before she could say another word. She stared at his back as he rushed down the street, and then looked at Elizabeth, stunned. Elizabeth took her elbow and pulled her inside.

As soon as the door was shut, the questions began. "I can't believe it! How long has he known?"

Dinah smiled sadly. "He has known since the moment we met. I was trying to steal a ship. He came to stop me. The rest, I think, is fate."

"It's amazing. The commodore finally finds the right woman, and she's a pirate!"

"It's unfair, is what it is," Dinah replied bitterly.

Elizabeth looked down, embarrassed. "Come on, then. I'll find you some dry clothes."

Dinah followed her up the stairs, her mind on the decision she'd thought she'd already made. Killing Stanton had fulfilled her only wish as a pirate, but she had never expected to live in this world. She had no idea if she could really stay.


	12. Dinah's Decision

Dinah stared out of the window, her forehead pressed against the cool glass. Everywhere outside she could see small scenes of destruction that Stanton's crew had caused before. There were people cleaning up piles of broken glass in the streets, others giving reports to soldiers of what items had been taken from them. The Bonnie Lass was still anchored in the harbor. Its captain was food for so many fish, and its crew was in shackles, the Port Royal jail overflowing. Dinah's mission had come to her, and now she had to face the issue of what she was to do next.

Elizabeth knocked quietly on the door, and then pushed it open. Dinah turned and smiled wanly at her. "Thank you for the dress," she said. A maid had woken her that morning with one of Elizabeth's dresses and another blasted corset to squeeze her into.

"I won't be able to fit into it soon, anyway," Elizabeth replied. She paused a moment. "Commodore Norrington is downstairs. He asked to see you."

Dinah nodded. She followed Elizabeth towards the stairs, feeling naked despite the yards of fabric covering her. James was standing in near the door to the house with Will, and Dinah caught a snippet of their conversation.

"… we were rather shocked."

"As am I. I trust you to be discreet."

"Of course…." Will trailed off and looked up as the two women began descending the stairs. He smiled at his own wife, and then nodded at the Commodore, whose eyes didn't leave Dinah.

He kissed her on the cheek when she stopped before him, and they clasped each others' hands. "Would you come with me for a little while?" he asked her earnestly.

She nodded. "I'll… I'll be back soon," she told Elizabeth. "Thank you so much for everything."

Elizabeth smiled kindly as she and Will watched them leave. Norrington helped Dinah into the carriage, pausing for a moment before he climbed in after her.

They sat opposite each other as the carriage began to rock down the drive, their knees pressed together. James felt almost crazed by the contact, even though he'd been so much closer to her the night before, clasped her so tightly to him after they pulled themselves from the ocean. Dinah stared silently at her hands.

"That was the captain of your ship," James said simply.

"It was."

"Now he's dead."

"He is."

There was a pause. "Come on, Dinah," James snapped. "You know perfectly well what this means. The man you were leaving to kill is dead. What is there for you to go back to now?"

She looked up at him, swallowing thickly. "I don't know, James. But I don't know what life there is for me here, either."

He reached out and caressed her cheek. "I can tell you that. I love you. I want you to stay here, with me." He held out his hand, the ring glittering between his fingers. "I want you to be my wife."

She put her right hand over her mouth as she looked at the shimmering emerald, perfectly set into a gold band. James clasped her left hand and slid the ring onto her finger. "It's a family heir loom. I've always known I would give it to the woman I was in love with, the woman I wanted to marry."

She reached down to drag it off of her knuckle. "Don't give it to me yet," she said, her voice cracking as she tried not to cry. "I don't know what my answer is going to be yet. I don't know if I can be the wife you want."

He laid his hands over hers. "You're already what I want; don't think you need to change and become something else. You're not the average straight-laced lady. No matter what, Dinah, keep the ring. No matter what you choose. I'll never love anyone else like I love you; it should be yours, forever."

The tears came now and she placed her hands over her face, sobbing quietly. James felt a burning at the back of his throat as well.

"I love you so much," she said, wiping at her cheeks with the backs of her hands. "But I never prepared for anything like this."

"Neither did I."

They had reached the fort, and he stared at her plaintively for a moment before leaning forward and kissing her. It was a lingering kiss, uncertain of being repeated.

"I'll return to Will and Elizabeth's house tonight. If you're gone… well, you know I won't chase you."

"Goodbye James," she said, letting his hand trail out of hers slowly as he descended from the carriage and ordered the driver to take her back to the Turner's.

He could barely pay attention to his work all day, which was very bad indeed as there was much to do after the previous night's events. He left as soon as possible, barely able to contain himself during the drive to the Turner's house.

He knocked a bit too persistently on the door, his heart pounding as he waited on the stoop. Elizabeth opened in a moment later. The look on her face was not a heartening one.

"Where is she?" he asked, dispensing with all the formalities and getting straight to the point.

"She left a short while ago," Elizabeth told him sadly.

"Did she say anything?" he asked, with his last shred of hope.

"She said she would return the dress." James' jaw jerked as he looked away from Elizabeth. "I'm so sorry," she said.

He nodded. "I'm going to go." Elizabeth nodded and slowly shut the door. He walked back to his carriage and paused, leaning against its side with his hands covering his face. She was gone. The only way he'd ever see her again was if they brought her into be hanged. He couldn't bear to think about it.

He heard footsteps on the drive and looked up.

She was walking towards him, and for a moment he thought he was hallucinating. Her glorious hair was hanging loosely around her shoulders, and the hem of Elizabeth's dress was slightly dirty. She was holding her pirate's hat in her hands.

"I thought I would beat you back," she said.

"Where did you go?" he asked after he found his tongue again.

"I had some things to take care of." She looked down at the item in her hands and smiled sheepishly. "I couldn't bear to part with the hat."

"You…"

"I threw it away. My men's clothes, the sword, everything except the hat. What is it about hats?"

There were no more words after that; his hands were in her hair and his lips were devouring hers as he dragged her into the carriage. He shut the door, never letting go of her, and pounded against the front to signal to the driver. They set off with a lurch, Dinah half in his lap as they kissed frantically.

"You're staying," he whispered, kissing her again before she had time to answer.

"You are all I have in the world," she told him after she managed to break away again. "You are the only thing I want."

They resumed their kissing, Dinah's hat getting considerably crushed and James' wig going askew, until the carriage stopped and James realized that they had arrived at his house. Unwilling to part with her but unsure of what they should do next, he pulled back, peering out the carriage window. Both of them were breathing heavily and looking very mussed.

"James," said Dinah after he had made no decision after a moment. He looked at her. She kissed him. It was time to get her revenge for his barging in on her in her shift. Her lips close to his ear, she whispered, "give your maid the night off."

AN: Finally complete! Hope you all enjoyed. Thanks to everyone who reviewed.


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